The Photo Center NW > Blog

Lecture: Steven Miller & Adrain Chesser

Steven Miller and Adrain Chesser are both photographers in their own right who began collaborating in 2010 after discovering that they were both men in their forties who love to play dress up. Through their trickster alter egos, Beaster and Bear, Chesser and Miller create complex narratives that explore the politics of gay culture, spirituality, and man’s relationship to nature. The photographs have two distinct styles: one mythic and rooted in art history, the other using the conventions of documentary photography – together they create a universe that brings archetypal forces into the here and now. Miller and Chesser are Seattle-based artists.

In a second series, “I Have Something to Tell You” Adrain Chesser confronts people in his life with important news and documents their reactions. When Chesser tested positive for HIV and was diagnosed with AIDS, he had an extreme physical reaction whenever he thought about having to tell his friends and family. He realized that it was the same reaction he had as a kid whenever he had to disclose something uncomfortable to his parents, fearing rejection or even abandonment if larger secrets were revealed. He worked at overcoming this fear by photographing his friends as he told them about his diagnosis. At the beginning of each shoot he would start by saying, “I have something to tell you”. Each sitter’s reaction was unique depending upon their own experience of loss, illness and death, creating a portrait of unguarded, unsettling honesty.

Friday, May 4th, 6:30pm, Tickets: $10, $8 Members
This lecture is in partnership with Decode Books.